Altrincham's dreams of adding another FA Cup scalp to their illustrious list of giantkillings ended in heartbreak.

Having gone within 90 seconds of beating Burton in the first tie at the Pirelli Stadium, the Blue Square Bet North Robins were confident of taking their tally to 17 wins against Football League clubs in the first round replay at Moss Lane last night.

But in front of the biggest crowd at the ground for five years, the part-timers paid the price for missing their chances as second-half strikes from Chris Palmer and former Oldham striker Calvin Zola saw Altrincham miss out on a trip to Cheshire neighbours Crewe in the second round.

“We could have done better with our opportunities and worked the keeper more, but at least we created the opportunities against a side competing for promotion in League Two,” said Altrincham boss Lee Sinnott, a former FA Cup finalist with Watford.

“The lads should take great confidence now from pushing a team like Burton close in two games.

“It was a wonderful occassion, I just wish we could have given the fans a goal to celebrate.”

The bumper crowd of 2,428 included Macclesfield boss Steve King and 35 scouts from clubs including Championship sides Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley.

Most would have been looking at Altrincham’s deadly Damian Reeves, who was the leading scorer in England’s top six division last season with 44 goals and already has 20 to his name in this campaign.

And he had the ideal chance to show the scouts just what he can do in the ninth minute when great work on the right by Scott Leather and Duncan Watmore resulted in the ball being fired across the Burton area where Reeves was waiting to pounce.

But for once, his shooting boots let him down as he fired over from 12 yards. In fact it was 18-year-old former Cheadle High School pupil Watmore who caught the eye most in the first half and he was at the centre of things again as another Altrincham chance went begging.

His creativity in midfield this time set up Jack Moult but, like Reeves before him, the 23-year-old midfielder could only fire the ball over goalkeeper Mark Oxley’s bar.

And Altrincham were almost made to pay for their missed chances on 24 minutes when Zola smashed a powerful header against the woodwork from Palmer’s free-kick.

Reeves was denied again before the break when, after Nicky Clee’s long-range effort was spilled by Oxley, the keeper recovered just in time to snatch the ball away from the Alty frontman’s feet.

Oxley was again called into action at the start of the second half when he was forced into a low, diving save after an 18-yard strike from Altrincham’s former Northern Ireland international striker James Lawrie.

But then came the moment which broke Alty hearts. Simon Richman fouled Jacques Maghoma and was made to pay as Palmer lashed in a sweet right-foot shot which nestled low into the corner on 65 minutes.

The Robins had an instant chance to get back level. Watmore, who came through the youth team at Moss Lane, was again the architect, with a perfect ball wide to Moult and his powerful shot from the right was tipped over by Oxley.

But Zola, who scored the injury-time equaliser in the first match, sealed the tie with a tap-in after good work down the left from Taylor in the 75th minute.

But Altrincham – who pocketed a bumper £40,000 from the tie – can’t dwell on the defeat, as they face Hinckley United at Moss Lane tomorrow looking to get their promotion bid back on track.

“We may have to crack the whip a bit now because the game has been draining on them and these guys have to go back to work in the morning,” added Sinnott.